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Lot Essay
This impression is cited in M./K./J.
In 1895 Gauguin left France for the last time and returned to Polynesia, where he lived out the final years of his life. The eight years spent there were characterized by a frenzy of activity, and between the years of 1896 and 1898 Gauguin created 17 woodcuts. The images were carved from blocks of tropical wood whose irregular surfaces produced an effect that varied greatly from the artist's earlier works. Without the assistance of printers, Gauguin, who had by this time mastered the intricacies of printmaking, pulled the prints himself on sheets of tissue thin Japon, in editions of 25 to 30. The editions were later sent to Ambroise Vollard for sale in Paris.
The present impression is a fine example of the prints from this series. The delicacy of the paper, the complex and often haphazard patterns of the wood grain, the ethereal quality of the imagery and Gauguin's rich inking combine to create a stunning result.
In 1895 Gauguin left France for the last time and returned to Polynesia, where he lived out the final years of his life. The eight years spent there were characterized by a frenzy of activity, and between the years of 1896 and 1898 Gauguin created 17 woodcuts. The images were carved from blocks of tropical wood whose irregular surfaces produced an effect that varied greatly from the artist's earlier works. Without the assistance of printers, Gauguin, who had by this time mastered the intricacies of printmaking, pulled the prints himself on sheets of tissue thin Japon, in editions of 25 to 30. The editions were later sent to Ambroise Vollard for sale in Paris.
The present impression is a fine example of the prints from this series. The delicacy of the paper, the complex and often haphazard patterns of the wood grain, the ethereal quality of the imagery and Gauguin's rich inking combine to create a stunning result.